Falling For Alaska

Chapter Fourteen: A Boy's Teddybear

"Really, I'm not expecting the two of you to be BFFs forever, but at the very least, act civil," Carter emphasized for what must've been the thousandth time, his arm leisurely around the two of us-- a rather uncomfortable feeling for both of us.

The amount of fat I could feel upon my shoulders was just simply gross, and really made this whole situation more awkward than it already was. Let's just say that it took a lot of restraint not to grab and twist his fat arm behind his back.

Alaska quickly nodded before her face scrunched up in disgust. "Now that we have this all figured out, can we please go back to the play? Not that my relations with asshole number one here aren't important, but Officer Carter, I think our main priority should definitely be the play. A play, if I recall, opens in less than two weeks."

Just gonna pretend I don't take offense to that.

Carter nodded emphatically, his Adam's apple bobbing eagerly. Naturally his eyes were focused on none other than Alaska's minimal boobs. "Of course, of course, just needed to make sure the two of you understand. You understand too, right Chase?"

The attention was now turned upon me and I could nod numbly in agreement, hesitantly responding with a "Yeah, of course," when in all honesty, I'd rather stab in the eye with a knife than be civil with the looney. 

Carter nodded happily, "Now that we've got that figured out, I have a hotdog that's calling my name..."

I rolled my eyes as Carter quickly excused himself, 'sprinting' to the nearest hotdog stand (or what I judged was his 'sprinting,' as I was able to hear his labored breath from the other side of the park). 

It was now quite awkward, just Alaska and I, standing side by side, watching as the ball-shaped man ran for his treat like a little cute doggy would. 

Of course I didn't expect Alaska to fawn over me, feeling my muscles or anything that a normal teenage girl would. But then again, I didn't really expect the 'quiet, shy girl' to fucking pounce on me, seemingly just trying to get a reaction about of me that wasn't my normal get-out-of-my-face behavior.

Maybe she wanted me to 'open up to her' or some girly emotional shit like that. I've heard that phrase used more than once with my therapists and more than a couple wanna-be girlfriends. I guess it was the classic "I believe there's good in everyone" crap. Maybe Alaska just wanted to figure me out or some crap like that, like she couldn't believe that I was a 'jerk' for no reason. Some bullshit like that.

I think the whole conversation went something like this: "Why are you such an asshole?" Straight to the point, huh? Stunned silence.

Just gonna brush that one off.

She remained undeterred. "Were you dropped into Hades as a baby?"

Actually that's impossible, and here I was thinking you were smart.

Yet I stayed silent, out of simple fear that Alaska was very close to frying my ass and serving it to the whole hippy club. I didn't want to give her any satisfaction, and hopefully, soon enough, she'd leave me alone.

But naturally, Alaska wasn't going to stop until she had a reaction. "Mommy and Daddy didn't love you enough?" 

I'm sure she didn't mean it to be an insult, I doubt she even knew what happened to my mother or how big of an asshole my father was, but whatever the case, it still stung-- more than a little.

This time I didn't bit back a remark. Even the threat of being roasted for her dinner wouldn't stop me from becoming a little agitated. "What is this, twenty one questions?" I snarled, my fists slightly curled at my sides.

"Don't need to be so defensive. Just trying to understand you better, I guess," she shrugged.

I guess I was right. Classic girl who tries to figure out what's wrong with poor Chase and try to 'fix him.' Classic girl hoping for a bit of romance and all this freaking sappy stuff you find from a Nicolas Sparks movie. 

"Yeah, well stop," I quickly responded, a frown on my face. "I'm not some twisted puzzle that you can just solve."

She shrugged. "Maybe not. Either way I guess that we need to act a little... nicer to each other." I didn't miss the way she winced when she said nicer. 

I crossed my arms. "For the play?"

She paused, "Guess so. Like as much as I enjoy insulting the shit out of your unintelligible ass, the play's more important to me."

Not like this is awkward at all or anything. What is this? Some type of heart to heart?

"Okay...? And what's in it for me? Because, you know, no offense or anything, but like, how do I put this nicely--- I really don't want to be a premature tree crying about his fucking 'tragic' life." 

Alaska frowned, her arms crossed and a "no-nonsense" expression on her face. "Excuse me?" she spat out,  her facial expression looking like she wanted to claw my eyes out and then consume poor Chase for breakfast. Okay, just gonna pretend like that not intimidating. 

Instead of following my gut and running as fast as I could in the other direction, screaming bloody murder, I confidently smirked, thinking that no matter how psycho Alaska was, she wouldn't try anything with so many witnesses and parents around. Hopefully. 

"You must realize, my dearest Alaska, that it's not every man's idea of fun to play dress up and prance like an idiot on a stage in front of the whole town. Has that not registered in your mind? Like, sure, maybe you make a bloody fool out of yourself for kicks, but hell, you're not dragging me with you."

 Apparently, what I thought was a very reasonable point, was not in Alaska's demented, tree-centered mind. I swear, that crazy vixen looked just crazy-batshit insane and the fact that she was still in her crazy brown makeup and her 'flattering' tree costume really didn't help the situation at all. "I really don't care about what you want to do, Chase, and unfortunately, you don't have a choice," she started before an even scarier expression crossed her face, "In fact, I even heard Officer Carter at our play meeting last week that you apparently thought you were too cool to attend,  that if you didn't put in enough effort, you'll even be playing lead in next year's play! A play that is so wonderfully called A Boy's Teddybear. Isn't that just delightful?" 

Suffice to say, my face immediately dropped.

"You're lying," I automatically shot back, trying to disguise my blatant fear. But I had the suspicion that she wasn't. I was relatively good at reading people, I could always read emotions. Yet, as ironic as it was, I was never great at hiding my own emotions, except maybe to my father.

But then again, my father was a retard, and pretty much chose not to see things. Case point one: the fact that he blatantly ignores the fact that his trophy bimbo wife spreads her legs for any man (or in Carter's case, a boy in a competitive food eater's boy) that came across her sight. 

Alaska scoffed, a slight smile that she had failed to disguise. "I may be many things, Chase Forrrest, but one thing I will never be is a liar. Or... a cannibal, for that matter." she winked, before spinning on her heel and walking back up the stage, but not before turning back towards me for a second, a satisfied expression strewn on her face, "FYI, Chase, Alaska the Cannibal really doesn't have a ring to it." 

***

a/n. poor chase thinking alaska's a cannibal *sigh*

anyways, i hope you enjoyed this chapter! please tell me what you think and if you liked it, please with two cherries on top, vote! seriously i think ffa just reached 4k reads and that just means the world to me, okay? 

so until next time, 

meyer w.